How Do You Think Average Americans Feel About Hunting? [PICS]

If you are like me, some of these results are a little surprising.

In a recent study by Responsive Management, a telephone poll conducted in 2015 regarding very specific hunting questions resulted in some very surprising answers.

The statistics don’t say whether the people in the telephone poll were themselves hunters, but instead, just asked questions about how they feel about hunting.

This study has been conducted six times since 1995 for between 800 and just over 5,000 people per survey. As the baseline results, 73% of all people polled back then were favorable of hunting in general. In 2015, 77% were favorable. It’s pretty good to see an increase if you ask me.

In a very surprising round of questions, participants were asked which game animals they were favorable of hunters hunting. With little question, 78% of participants were favorable of deer hunting. On the other end of the spectrum, only 40% were favorable of hunting for doves.

The rest of the numbers are below.

Regarding why hunters hunt, this is where things took a turn. Hunting for sustenance was overwhelmingly supported by 85% of all participants. This includes people who aren’t favorable of hunting in the first place. That reason for support is equal to hunting to protect humans from harm, also at 85% support.

At the end of the list comes trophy hunting. Only 28% accept trophy hunting as an acceptable reason to hunt.

The most surprising of all results for the people in this survey came when asked about specific hunting methods. Hunting with dogs was actually supported the most out of all styles of hunting at 57% favorable. The next closest acceptable form of hunting was high-fence hunting for hunters with limited mobility at 48% support.

The least accepted form of hunting by participants in this survey, and the general consensus from a lot of hunters, is hunting in high-fence preserves. At only 20% favorable, this had the lowest support out of the entire survey.

What this survey shows is how the hunting community can engage the general population to help shed light on what we do, and why we do it.

Another takeaway? If you find yourself in a bar talking to a non-hunter sometime soon, make sure you let them know if you deer hunt for food. Telling them you trophy hunt for morning doves in a high-fence preserve might not be taken to so well.